Magister
by xXThePrincessXx
Summary: Anders makes a snide remark and Fenris takes it out on Hawke.
1. Heating

_What is this? Two new things in one day?! That's what avoiding homework does to a person, haha. Anyway, I came up with this idea a while ago. I'm not sure how it turned out, so I'm only putting part of it up for now. Please let me know if you want to see the rest. _

_BioWare strikes again! They own the Dragon Age universe, though Hawke is mine :)_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>It was another party for the Champion of Kirkwall. The city's finest were all dressed up for the occasion. It was amazing how they managed to have different attire for each event; it was the fifth party that week. Fenris stood with his back against the wall, trying not to scowl too hard. Varric had already passed by and made a comment about how brooding was not meant for celebrations such as these, but Fenris couldn't help it. All of the glitz and glamor did nothing but irritate him. Such shows of wealth seemed pointless to him, didn't these people have better things to do with their time?<p>

He sighed for the umpteenth time that night and searched for Hawke in the crowd. It didn't take long, her dark hair and deep red dress stood out among the other pale and delicate guests. She was smiling pleasantly at a man with a ridiculous mustache while he talked animatedly, his drink coming dangerously close to spilling over onto her dress. Fenris restrained a chuckle as he watched; he could tell that beneath her pleasant expression, Hawke was annoyed. There was something about her eyebrows, slightly raised, that gave her expression a forced air. At that moment, the orchestra struck up a new song and the man offered her a hand, asking for a dance. Hawke smiled stiffly and excused herself, hurriedly moving away. She grabbed a drink off of the next tray that passed and turned around. She blew out a sigh and then seemed to notice Fenris. She smiled wryly and tipped her glass toward him before swallowing it in one gulp. Fenris inclined his head in her direction, failing to hold in his chuckle this time. When he looked up again, Hawke had disappeared so he contented himself with watching the pairs of people swirling across the dance floor.

"And here we find the elf." The voice that came from his left made him grit his teeth. He turned coldly to face Anders, the mage grinning lazily at him, a drink held loosely in his hand. He was standing just out of reach, something that set Fenris on edge. If the mage was expecting Fenris to react by grabbing him, nothing good would come of this conversation.

"Mage." Fenris worked to keep his tone even. He was here for Hawke; there was no need to get hostile. Yet.

"Are you enjoying the festivities?" Anders asked, looking around and gesturing with his glass. Fenris was silent, not seeing why he should respond. Anders looked back at him and sighed.

"Well," he clapped Fenris on the shoulder. Fenris restrained himself from ripping the mage's hand off, his expression shifting into a sneer. "I hope you enjoy watching your new magister." Anders fled as he said this, chuckling darkly as he weaved his way into the crowd. Fenris stood there dumbfounded. His new magister? A few moments later he spotted Hawke; she was talking to Anders and looked genuinely happy, eagerly taking his hand when he offered it. He looked pointedly in Fenris's direction as he led her to the dance floor. Fenris growled and looked away. He debated leaving—for a second. But no, that was just what Anders wanted. Instead he looked back to the pair that was circling the middle of the dance floor.

Anders and Hawke had grown quite close since the battle with the Qnari. She had sustained some grievous injuries during her fight with the Arishok and Anders had been the main reason that she was alive, though Fenris only grudgingly admitted it. He couldn't hold it against her though, her new fascination in the mage. Fenris had left her, broke her. He couldn't fault her for seeking someone else for comfort. Why it had to be the mage he couldn't fathom. But it didn't matter. He would follow her regardless. He owed her that much.

As Fenris stood and watched Hawke elegantly swish across the dance floor, ignoring the arm that was around her waist, a thought occurred to him. His new magister. Is that what Anders had been talking about? He cursed under his breath, levelling a glare at the wall. The mage had rubbed salt in an open wound. He would get what was coming to him, that much was guaranteed. Fenris took one last look at the dance floor before he moved back into the shadows. He hoped the party would end soon. He had no reason to stay, except one.

Hawke closed the door to the mansion, leaning up against it and sighing. She handed her shawl to Bodahn and proceeded to the main room, finding Fenris standing before the fire.

"I think I've had enough parties, don't you?" She asked, dropping her gloves onto the desk and shifting through the letters there before turning to look back at Fenris. He hadn't responded, he was just glaring into the fire.

"Fenris?" She turned fully around, her skirt swirling around her legs. He looked over at her, his expression cold.

"What is this Hawke?" His voice was deadly calm.

"What's what, Fenris?" She asked in confusion.

"This. This…relationship." Fenris gestured between the two of them, apparently not knowing how to describe what he was talking about.

"Fenris, I don't under—" Hawke started to say, but Fenris cut her off.

"I am not your slave." Everything was silent. The fire popped in the quiet room but it only seemed to increase the tension.

"No, you're not." Hawke kept her tone even.

"I have my own life. I can do as I wish."

"Yes, you can." Hawke moved closer to Fenris as she said this, slowly.

"Then why am I here?" Fenris all but snarled, making her freeze. Hawke couldn't respond. Fenris continued, unbidden.

"You take me with you on your errands, we run all around Kirkwall and the surrounding coast on petty quests for things I could care nothing about. You bring me to parties and I walk you home. Why? Is it to show me off? To show off your pet elf?" He spat the words like venom and Hawke struggled not to flinch.

"No, I don't see it that way, Fenris." She took another step closer as he turned back to the fire. "You have to know that."

"I don't understand. If I care nothing for this town then why am I here?"

"Because I want you here." Hawke was inches away from him now. She saw his back stiffen as she replied to his question and knew she had said the wrong thing.

"I am not your slave!" Fenris shouted, his tattoos flashing bright.

"No! You're my friend!" Hawke yelled back, her control slipping.

"Then why can't I leave? I don't want to be here any longer." Fenris turned and got in her face, his tattoos highlighting the planes of his face.

"Then leave!" Hawke shouted, the air around her flashing red as flames flickered between her fingers.


	2. Cooling

_Hello, hello! Thank you, everyone for your interest in this. I cannot express how happy it makes me to have a response like this to a random little idea like this :) So, here it is, the second part of the story. Let me know what you think! And, as always, enjoy!_

_BioWare still owns everything._

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><p>A tense silence fell between them again. They stared into each other's faces, each too stubborn to look away. Eventually Hawke sighed and averted her gaze, the magic dissipated from around her.<p>

"Look, Fenris, you're free to do what you want. I can't, _won't_, hold you back from that. I helped you get your freedom, remember?" She faced away from him, looking into the fire. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you want to leave, go. Just know that I'll miss you." She whispered the last words, looking in his direction for a split second before gazing back at the fire. She wrapped her arms around her middle and huddled into herself. Fenris was stuck, not knowing how to react to this. Then he cursed, Tevinter words spilling from his lips. Hawke looked up in surprise, tensing slightly in case he decided to get violent.

"That damn abomination." Fenris muttered, beginning to pace like a caged animal. "This is what he wanted all along."

"Sorry? I think I've missed something here." Hawke quipped, keeping track of Fenris out of the corner of her eye as she turned back toward the fire.

"He told me to have fun watching my new magister tonight just before he asked you to dance." Fenris spat, continuing to pace. Hawke turned in surprise, expecting Fenris to elaborate. When he didn't her expression turned dark, the fire going low with her mood. This was almost enough to stop Fenris from pacing, but he continued, the motion keeping his rage in check.

"He wanted me to react this way and push you further away, further into his arms." Fenris could've ripped the whole house down with this realization, but he contained himself. Hawke was here, no need to lose control.

"Well that won't be happening." Hawke's calm remark made Fenris falter and stop. She was looking at him intently, a slight wrinkle in her brow. Then the expression passed, the fire came back to life and the darkness lifted. She absentmindedly picked up a fire-poker and stirred the logs around, making the flames climb higher.

"I think he was a little drunk tonight. He offered to bring me home. Though that was not all he intended, I'm sure." Her quiet comment made Fenris prickle, a slight growl escaping him. She looked back at him with an eyebrow quirked on her forehead. "I told him in no uncertain terms that I did not need him to take me home. Someone else was already my escort." At that Fenris deflated. He suddenly felt quite ridiculous, his outburst childish.

"Anyway, I'll let him know that his opinion is not requested in _that_ part of my life. I think I am entitled to who I'd like to see and who I wouldn't." She was quiet, stabbing the fattest log over and over.

"Hawke I—" Fenris began. She waved him away.

"You were provoked. It's fine. Though what I said is still true." She put the fire-poker back and turned to look at him. "Everything I said still stands." Her earnest response made him uncomfortable.

"No. I-I was…mistaken." He couldn't look at her as he said it.

"Good." Her face was serious. They stood in silence for a while, Fenris looking at the corner, unsure of what to do next. He heard her approach, her silken skirts giving her away.

"You know, there is one person that I didn't dance with that I wish I would have." He looked down at her in front of him. She had a small smile on her face. She offered her hand, the question in her face.

"I don't dance." Fenris replied, taking a step back. Hawke continued to look at him, her face a bit exasperated.

"No?" She took a step toward him, her skirt brushing against his legs. He sighed uncomfortably and made himself look at her.

"I _can't_ dance." She didn't seem fazed.

"That's okay." She smiled up at him. Then, carefully, she took his hand and wrapped it around her waist. She took his other hand in hers and wrapped her free arm around his neck, pulling them close together. He stood stock still as she snuggled her head into his collar bone. She sighed and then music began to play, from nowhere it seemed, until he spotted the music box on the mantle. He chuckled softly as she began to lead them in a slow sway. She always seemed to get what she wanted. She turned them in a slow, steady circle. He stared down at her, watching the firelight catch in her hair, sparkling. He wondered if she had used magic for that too, she used magic for so many things that he found unnecessary. Like the music box. He tilted his head to the side, trying to get a closer look to see if he could spot any magic involved. It was pulled to the side, mysterious sparkles scattered throughout before the curls tumbled onto her shoulder. He really couldn't tell. The dress he knew was not magicked, he had been brought along to pick it up with Isabela and Aveline. The deep red was accented with black lace around the hem of the skirt and the waistline as well as accenting the bust. He could feel the laces of the back of the dress beneath his fingers. He quickly distracted himself, lest his mind wander to places it shouldn't. Hawke quietly hummed along in his arms, keeping them in time with the music. Then the music stopped. They spun around once more before Hawke stepped back a little and looked up at him.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" She looked so happy, her cheeks a nice rosy red that was accented even more by her dress and dark hair. Fenris wanted nothing more than to kiss her, among other things. But no. He stepped away from her, awkwardly. She tilted her head at him, but when he didn't offer an explanation she shrugged. She looked at the clock on the desk and then back at him, a sad smile on her lips.

"You should probably go." Fenris could not agree more, thinking that he was in extreme danger of doing something he would regret if he stayed. He had already messed up with Hawke once; he didn't know how much more she could take.

Hawke walked him to the door, seeing him out to the street. She hung in the doorway as he walked away, a smile pulling up the corner of her mouth.

"Thanks for tonight." She said to his back, missing the rare smile it brought to his face.

"Until next time, Hawke." Fenris replied under his breath, stealing a glance of her skirt as she returned inside and closed the door.


End file.
